Thanks Happy
by Kayla the kawaii gurl
Summary: Who knew that one sentence from a little blue flying fur ball could make Natsu think for once? FINAL CHAPTER UP!
1. Chapter 1

KTKG Says: I do NOT own Fairy Tail. On with the show!

**Thanks Happy**

"I wish Lucy was my mom."

The sentence was so random that Natsu almost dropped his fishing pole into the water below him. The words had been uttered so nonchalantly by the blue feline beside him that he could have sworn they had been talking about the weather.

Covering up his surprise, Natsu schooled his face into a bored expression and glanced sideways at his companion. "Where'd that come from?" Apparently he couldn't hide the surprise in his voice, because really that wasn't what he had meant to say. "I mean, what makes you say that?" The Exceed didn't even glance in his direction as he shrugged in response. "I dunno, I was just thinking about some of the stuff Lucy does for me and well, she just _feels_ like my mom." He suddenly looked in Natsu's direction, eyebrows turned down in worry. "Does that make me… _weird_?"

Instead of answering him (because, honestly, he didn't know what to say at the moment) Natsu asked, "What about your real mom? Don't you like her?" Happy turned back to look out at the horizon, looking as if he were contemplating his answer. Somewhere, way in the back of his mind, Natsu realized that he was about to have a serious conversation for the first time ever with Happy.

Whoa. They were growing up.

"I like her and my dad too, but… I really love you and Lucy. Maybe it's different because I've known you guys longer?" As Happy turned to look at him in confusion he realized that his eyes must have been the size of dinner plates at the moment. Him and Lucy?!

"Yeah, you guys feel more like my parents!"

Damn, he must have said that last thought out loud. Happy was looking at him like he was expecting him to say something. Honestly, what was there to say? Especially in response to something like that?

Silence settled in between them and Natsu felt some of his shock, not to mention nervousness, die away slowly. Maybe the conversation was over? Good. He didn't think he'd survive explaining to his friend, and apparently his _adoptive son_, that he and Lucy would have to be a _couple_ to be his 'parents.' He sighed as he resumed his look down to where his fishing line disappeared into the water below. First serious conversation: averted.

"Ne, Natsu?"

He gave a noncommittal grunt to show he was listening.

"Can you and Lucy give me a little brother or sister soon?"

*SPLASH*

Shit, there goes his fishing pole.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

"Natsu, why are you staring at me like that?"

"'Cause you're a weirdo."

Lucy just glared at him in response as she rose from her seat across from him, mumbling under her breath as she made her way to the bar in the guild. His sharp hearing caught her retort and her snorted, leaning back as he folded his hands behind his head. The sad thing was, he was agreed with her little comment. _He_ wasthe oneacting like a weirdo, and it was all a certain blue hairball's fault.

Shifting his gaze to the left he found said flying animal hovering around the blonde as she waited for whatever it was that she had ordered. She was chatting away merrily with Levy, something about a book, and seemingly ignoring their little partner. Getting tired of just hovering, Happy plopped himself down on the counter with a slight pout on his face. Then, without taking her eyes off of the bluenette, Lucy reached out a hand and scratched the space between Happy's ears. He didn't even need his enhanced hearing to hear the purr that erupted from him from where he sat.

A few seconds later Mirajane returned to the bar with a pair of mugs, one of them on fire, and a plate with a fish which Happy excitedly snatched up. He hovered back into the air for a minute, stopping to nuzzle Lucy's shoulder in thanks, and then flew off. Giggling, the blonde turned and made her way back towards him.

His cheeks felt like they were suddenly on fire when her brown eyes met his and he had to resist the urge to make sure they actually weren't.

Lucy must have noticed his fidgeting because she suddenly raised an eyebrow in question as she set down the fiery mug in front of him. Ah, fire whiskey, just what he needed at the moment. Hopefully it would help to calm him some. "Thanks Luce." Her eyebrow remained arched as he took his first gulp. "You sure you're okay? You've been awfully quite, and not just today by the way. You've been like this for the last couple of days actually."

He nodded in response, not daring to say anything because in truth, he wasn't really okay. He was still a bit messed up from Happy's little request last week and it was affecting him in ways he wasn't really ready to deal with.

Like how it made him start to notice… things.

Lucy startled him out of his thoughts as she took a sip from her mug, some chocolate concoction from the smell of it, and eyed him wearily. She was about to say something but was cut off by Levy who wanted to finish their earlier conversation. She gave him an apologetic smile before getting up and making her way back to her fellow bookworm. He shot her a cheeky grin and waved her off, waiting until she turned around before letting his cheeks settle back in their resting place.

Damn that flying cat.

Because of him, he was starting to notice things, like _really_ notice things. Yeah, it was true, Lucy had always been good to Happy. From the first day that she had ran into them, she was always looking out for the little feline, giving him attention in ways that honestly were too girly for him. He had after all stopped hugging and cuddling the little fur ball when he turned thirteen thanks to Gray's endless teasing. Really though, he was thankful that Happy did have someone since Lisanna left to give him the kind of affection he craved sometimes. He was only six when he thought about it.

His eyes shifted over to the bar where the youngest of the Strauss siblings worked with her sister. Technically, she should be Happy's 'mother', right? She was there when he hatched after all. He had asked Happy about it and his only reply had been that she felt more like an older sister. Sighing to himself, Natsu was secretly frustrated. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Well, now that he thought about it, she had been there while they were growing up, but they would only really see her when they went to the guild or if they decided to hang out. With Lucy, it seemed like they were together all the time; either they were at the guild, on a mission together, or well, at her place. He'd actually never been over to the Strauss household before. Maybe that's the difference?

One thing that he had noticed was that not only did Lucy take care of Happy; she also took care of _him_. It was in little ways that not many would notice, not even him, but since that fateful conversation not too long ago he's been able to see it. It was in the little ways that just seemed like every day behavior. When she would go grocery shopping she would grab a couple of fish for Happy, or always make sure there was a box of matches handy in her apartment in case he wanted a snack. It was there when she wouldn't kick them out after a particularly exhausting mission, or when she cooked him something spicy even though she complained about the smell. Hell, the woman kept a supply of first aid materials that could easily rival the guild's infirmary for him!

He sighed again in irritation. He was starting to notice more and more, too, how comfortable she was getting around them. She very rarely exploded on them anymore about their habit of breaking into her place. Instead, some days, she chose to change into some sweatpants and lounge around with them. It was in these instances where she would sometimes throw her legs over his as they sat on the couch talking, or let Happy to curl up in her lap as she read and he pretended to do the same. It was also during these instances that he had to restrain himself from throwing his arm around her and pull her against him while he kissed her silly.

He groaned audibly as he thought about all the times he had to fight to keep his hands and lips to himself around the blonde. It had been a struggle before but as of late it was like he was raging a war with himself around the celestial mage. He already had feelings for the woman, he knew that obviously, but all this thinking about them being Happy's parents was doing nothing but making him realize that he wanted the blonde as his mate. That way they could be _real_ parents, and not just to Happy.

Suddenly he was choking on his drink, his eyes wide with realization.

Dear Mavis, He did NOT just think that! He did not just think about having BABIES with her!

The action of him spitting his whiskey out all over the table caught the attention of the two women at the bar. Attempting to act like nothing was wrong, like he hadn't been thinking about possibly impregnating his teammate, Natsu gave them a similar grin to the one he wore earlier and waved them off. Levy's eyebrows met in confusion while Lucy's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Not giving her time to question him he rose from his spot and headed quickly out the door, give some excuse along the lines of having to change.

Man, he needed to get out of there and clear his head. Maybe he needed to lay off the fire whiskey for a while, especially if it made him have thoughts like that.

Damn that blue flying cat of his!

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Natsu groaned as he sunk into the overly plush couch, his eyes closing as he felt his body relax. The mission they had just returned from had been one of epic proportions. Who would have thought that a simple request of protection would have turned into them fighting a whole dark guild?

Opening his eyes, he looked over to his left and watched as Lucy slowly lowered Happy down onto a make-shift bed of pillows and blankets on the love-seat. He felt his heart tighten at the sight of his unconscious 'son' as well as the tender care Lucy was giving him. Happy had taken a pretty hard hit during the battle and had been out ever since. Hopefully he would wake up soon, but Natsu knew that he needed his rest, especially since he had used up a lot of energy helping out.

Closing his eyes again, he let his head fall on the back of the couch, his sensitive ears picking up the sound of Lucy limping into the bathroom more than likely for supplies. Man, they were all beat up. Gray and Erza included. He as proud though, they had all managed to hold their own, especially Happy and Lucy. Speaking of which…

"Oi, Natsu, wake up."

He cracked his eyes open to find Lucy standing in front of him with her first aid kit in her hands. From the looks of it she had already taken care of her wounds as well as Happy's. How long had he been out? "Come on. You need to get bandaged up and we both need some rest."

Slowly he sat himself up and reached out his right hand for her to start. They worked in silence, Lucy wrapping his appendages and being as careful as possible while he obeyed her commands of different sitting positions. Natsu felt himself losing in his battle to stay awake but shot to victory when Lucy decided to break the silence.

"So, are you going to finally tell me what's been going on with you?"

His eyes shot over in her direction but her head was down as she was still wrapping his ankle. Should he tell her? She obviously knew something was wrong with him as even he could admit he's never been this deep in thought for this long. He sat in silence as he weighed the pros and cons for a couple of second before deciding that she should know how Happy sees her.

"Happy considers us his parents."

She froze for a second before raising her brown eyes to his. Dammit, there was his heart doing that skip a beat thing again.

"Really? What about his real parents?"

He shrugged in response and winced at the action. Setting his foot down slowly on the ground she leaned back into the couch, a dazed look on her face. Instantly Natsu started to panic for some reason. How was she going to take this? After a few minutes of her contemplating the information and him sweating it out, she looked at the sleeping feline with a smile on her face. "I guess I kind of consider him my son too."

He released a sigh of relief as silently as possible, but quickly took it back in at her next words. "What about you? You okay with me being Happy's 'mom'?" He couldn't help the blush that spread across his cheeks as he was bombarded with images from all the fantasies he's had for the past couple of days. Not daring to look at her he asked, "what about you? Are you okay with the idea of us being parents in a sense?"

"Well, the thought has crossed my mind before."

His head whipped in her direction to find her looking down at her fidgeting hands blushing. BLUSHING! Instantly he felt his own heated cheeks increase their temperature drastically. Did that mean what he thought it meant? His thoughts were interrupted as Lucy suddenly stood, pulling him up off of the couch with her. "W-What are you doing?" Damn, he was stuttering now.

"C'mon." She didn't spare him a look as she pulled him in the direction of her bed. Lightly pushing him down on it, she motioned for him to make room before climbing in herself. "L-Lucy…" Since she wasn't looking he actually checked to make sure his face _wasn't _on fire thanks to her actions. He literally felt like his head was going to explode when he turned towards him, scooting a little closer as she did so.

"Since the baby is already asleep, it's time for mom and dad to do so too ne?" She leaned in and placed a soft kiss to his shocked lips before settling back down beside him, a content sigh leaving her lips. "Good night." Wait, wait, wait, did she just say 'mom and dad'? Who the hell was this person? This couldn't be his Lucy! The real Lucy would have yelled at him for even _suggesting_ they could be parents and-

"Natsu, I swear to Mavis if you don't stop squirming I will knock you out."

Immediately he stilled his body and closed his eyes. Okay, so maybe this was Lucy. But then that meant that what she had said earlier was indeed true. So, that means she maybe had fantasies of the possible family they could have in the future like he did? The light snore that escaped her told him that he would have to wait until the morning to ask her. Oh well. If she didn't mind the idea of them being parents, then that had to mean she didn't mind the idea of them being a couple. He smiled at the thought and finally allowed himself to relax, his free arm wrapping around the small body next to him before drifting off to sleep.

He couldn't wait to tell Happy in the morning that he officially had two sets of parents now.

Hopefully, if Lucy's actions meant anything, he'd be able to get started on Happy's request too.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

KTKG Says: Okay, so that turned out longer than I had originally planned. I hope you liked it!


	2. Part II

KTKG Says: Here it is people! The long awaited sequel! I hope you enjoy this one as much as the first! And always remember: I do NOT own Fairy Tail. If I did this would have been an episode by now.

**Part II: You're Welcome Happy!**

"Lu-chan? Luuuuuuuuu-chaaaaan. LUCY!"

Lucy jumped and whipped her head to the right, glaring at the blunette next to her. "Jeez Levy, did you really have to scream in my ear?" Levy huffed in response, crossing her arms as she leaned back on her left leg. A frown crossed her face, imitating the one on Lucy's. "Well I had to do _something_! You were just standing there staring at the peppers like you were off in another dimension!"

Lucy chuckled slightly as she shook her head, bringing her fully back to reality. "Sorry. I was thinking about something." She turned her focus back to the display in front of her, her eyes roaming over the various colored vegetables. "Now, where was I? Ah! This one looks good." She plucked one off the top pile, wrapping it in plastic before placing it in her basket.

Turning, she found Levy looking at her with a scrunched nose. "What's that look for?" Levy's eyes drifted down to the various items in the cart, her nose scrunching up further. "I can't believe you're going to actually make it."

Lucy couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. "Hey! In my defense it's not even for me!" The blunette sighed, following after her blonde friend as they started off down one of the isles. "I guess you're right. Still… it doesn't even sound appetizing!" Lucy only giggled as she grabbed a bottle of vanilla extract and placed it next to the lime juice and jalapeno she had just grabbed. "Come on Levy, this is Natsu we're talking about. The man eats fire for Mavis's sake!" She turned on her friend then, eyes narrowing. "Let's not talk about the time you tried to make _metal brownies_."

Levy's face flushed in embarrassment, causing Lucy to cackle in delight. "Whatever!" Levy crossed her arms as they finally made their way to the register, her nose in the air in mock anger as the blonde started to unload her items.

Both girls watched in silence as each item was rung up, Lucy checking them off a mental list in her head. Flour, vanilla, lime juice, sour cream, graham cracker crust…yep that's it. She had butter and eggs at home so with the jalapeno that was currently being placed in the bag, she had everything she needed to make Natsu's dessert. And what dessert would that be?

Why, a jalapeno cheesecake of course.

The man had been whining about Lucy making him one since they had returned from a mission in Bosco. While they were there, they had stumbled upon a little bakery where they had specialty cakes and pies. Since Natsu wasn't really in to sweets, it took everything in her power, including the dreaded pout, to get him in there. Much to his surprise, they had a vast array of spicy treats. In true Natsu fashion, the dragon slayer had tried all of them, and the cheesecake had been his ultimate favorite.

So here she was, grabbing all the ingredients to make him his damn cheesecake. He better be grateful for the holiday because otherwise she wouldn't have gone through all the trouble. The weird thing was her mouth was actually starting to water at the thought of making it.

Her stomach suddenly churned unpleasantly, making her stop in the middle of the sidewalk.

"You okay Lu-chan?"

Swallowing a mouthful of spit, Lucy eyed their surroundings for a restroom or even a wastebasket in case she wasn't able to hold down her breakfast much longer. Shaking her head, she took a couple of deep breaths before answering her concerned friend. "Uh, yeah. I'm okay." Levy raised an eyebrow as she looked her over, noticing the slight sheen of sweat on the other girl's forehead. "Are you sure? You don't look so hot."

Lucy remained silent as she took a couple more gulps of air, eventually calming her stomach down enough for her to continue on her trek home. "Yeah, I'm sure. I think I might have eaten something that didn't agree with me." She looked up to see her companion giving her a serious look. "What?"

"You've been doing this for almost a week. Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor or something?"

Lucy paled at the comment. So she noticed it too?

Sighing she tried to think of something to say. "Maybe I have the flu?" Levy's lips turned down into a frown. "Lu-chan, its June. I highly doubt you'd have the flu right now. Besides, what kind of flu only makes you ill normally in the middle of the day?" Suddenly Levy's eyes widened as she thought about what she just said. Lucy winced as a smile accompanied the surprised look on her friend's face. "W-what?" She was afraid to hear what it was that had Levy looking like that.

"You don't think you're…"

"NO!"

Lucy felt her face turn red with embarrassment instantly at Levy's unfinished question. "You sure? I mean, you said yourself that lately you guys have been rather…_active_." Lucy covered her face with her hands to block out Levy's knowing smile. Damn best friends to hell. She should have known that little tidbit of information would come back to bite her in some way. The sudden laughter from the other woman caught her attention.

"Oh come on Lucy. I was just joking!"

Lucy didn't feel any better about it as she was now lost in thought. Maybe…

She was broken out of her thoughts as she was suddenly being pulled in the direction of the local drug store. "Levy! What are you doing?" The girl only smirked over her shoulder as she continued to drag the blonde along.

"We're going to put your fears to rest! Besides, you need a card don't you?"

Lucy was about to protest when her stomach lurched again, this time going through with it's earlier threat. Wrenching her hand out of Levy's hold, she threw herself at the nearest garbage can and proceeded to empty her stomach's contents. Levy held her hair back for her with that ever persistent knowing smirk plastered all over her face.

Okay. Maybe Levy did have a point.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X **

Lucy looked at the object in her hand, willing the thing to be still. It took her a while to realize the reason the thing was moving in the first place was because it was in her hand, which was currently shaking. Taking a calming breath, she set it down on the edge of the sink's counter and left the bathroom.

Heading to the living room, she plopped herself down on the couch and spread out. The smell coming from the kitchen was absolutely heavenly and her mouth watered in anticipation.

Everything for tonight's dinner was prepped and keeping warm on the stove. The only thing that wasn't done yet was the cheesecake, which she had just placed in the oven to bake and still had an hour to go. With nothing better to do at the moment, she allowed her eyes to roam around her surroundings, which had changed drastically.

It had been three years since that fateful mission she had returned from with Natsu and Happy where she learned how the blue Exceed saw her. Since then, they had become an honest, real, little family. A couple of months after that night, Natsu and Happy had talked her into moving in with them. She was hesitant at first, but the prospect of not having to pay rent, not to mention living with her two favorite boys, had her eventually giving in.

Living with the two hasn't been so bad now that she thought about it. As she looked around she could see things that represented all three of them. Natsu's hammock still hung in a corner of the living room, which he lounged whenever she was cooking. The wall that was dedicated to memories of their adventures was still where it had been originally, although now it was overflowing with requests. The same went for all of their little trinkets they collected.

The only differences in Natsu's house were the presence of her writing desk in a far corner, as well as the fact that there were now three bedrooms added on. Lucy had been insistent on the dragon slayer adding a bedroom on as the two of them couldn't possibly fit comfortably in his hammock. Needless to say, the fire mage had seen the light after some thought and recruited some of their friends to get the work done in a couple of days. When everything was finished they now had three bedrooms instead of the one she had originally asked for. When she had asked him about it, he had said that Happy could use his own room. As for the third, well…

The timer on the oven went off, tearing Lucy from her thoughts. Had it already been an hour? She must have dosed off.

Hastily, she rose from her position on the couch and moved into the kitchen, shoving her hands into some oven mitts before she pulled the cheesecake out. Her stomach grumbled in appreciation as the smell invaded her nostrils. Obviously she was feeling much better than she had been when she was out with Levy earlier.

Speaking of which…

Slowly she stalked back into the bathroom, stopping a couple of steps into the room as she faced off with the object that lay almost forgotten on the sink counter. She braced herself as she approached then paused suddenly in thought. What was she afraid of? Levy had been trying to get a rise out of her earlier, that's all. The only reason she went through with it was so she could her friend's assumptions to rest.

Laughing nervously to herself, she finished her small journey to the sink. She guessed she was nervous because she would have to think of something to tell Natsu if he ever decided to look in the garbage.

Shaking her head, she picked up the white stick and peered at it nonchalantly, thinking that Levy had lost her mind.

When she really took a good look at the thing in her hand however, Lucy swore that she was one that had lost her mind.

Quickly she looked at the box, then back to the little window on the stick. A whimper escaped her as she glanced back and forth between the two again.

What. The. Fuck.

Slowly, she slid to the tiled floor beneath her, the objects in her hands clattering lifelessly on the ground. How could this be? It was all supposed to be a joke! She was supposed to be laughing in Levy's face right now, not sitting here looking stupid with shock! She looked down to her stomach, her vision becoming a bit blurry suddenly.

Positive. The damn thing had been positive.

She couldn't decide if she was happy or not when her name being called startled her.

Turning around she found Happy standing in the bathroom doorway with a worried look on his little furry face. "Are you okay Lushi?" She realized he was partially munching on a fish that was clutched in his hands.

Gathering the items off the floor, she dumped them in the wastebasket by the toilet before he could see them. Running a hand over her face, she quickly scrubbed any stray tears away before turning around and plastering a smile on her face. "Happy! I'm fine!" The cat only eyed her suspiciously while Lucy held her breath. Had he seen? "You sure are acting weird."

They sat there staring at each other until Happy shrugged his little shoulders and turned around, mumbling something about her being weird before heading in the direction of the kitchen. Sighing in relief she followed after him. Her heart was still thumping in her chest but at least now she wasn't shaking anymore. At least she thought she wasn't. When she went to start arranging the food and the pot lids were rattling, she had proved herself wrong.

Pausing, she leaned against the dinner table and tried to calm herself down. She had to be normal about this until she could figure out how to tell him. Blue fur blocked her vision and she looked up to see Happy hovering nearby, that worried expression back on his face. "Are you sure you're okay? Do you need a hug?" Sighing heavily opened her arms up and the exceed floated in. Squeezing him to her chest she thought for a couple of seconds about everything.

Okay, so maybe this wasn't going to be bad. I mean, she had technically been practicing with Happy since he was her adoptive son right? Looking down at the feline in her arms she couldn't help but crack a smile as she felt the vibrations of his purring against her chest. They were an odd little family that apparently was about to get a little bigger.

"Lushi! I can hear him! Let's hurry up!"

She released him quickly and the two scrambled around the kitchen. The whole dinner thing had been Happy's idea surprisingly. He had come home one day all excited after learning about a certain holiday that Lucy had rarely ever celebrated. She decided to indulge the little fur ball and together they decided to give Natsu the one thing that he absolutely loved; food, and lots of it.

Everything was set but there was still one last thing to do. "Happy come here! Sign this!" Quickly, the exceed flew over to Lucy's desk and pressed his paw in her ink, coming back over to press it in the card on the table. Lucy meanwhile froze for a second in thought before taking a deep breath and scribbling something down.

Well, that was one way she guessed.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Nastu sighed loudly trudged up the trail that led to his house. While he loved his newly renovated residence, he still missed Lucy's old apartment. It had been in town, and after tiring missions like the one he and Gray had just finished, he almost wished that he had moved in with her instead so he didn't have that far to travel.

A smile crept across his face as he thought of the celestial mage. He had missed her this past week horribly and couldn't wait to get home if only just to see her. She hadn't been feeling too good when he approached her about the mission, so he told her to just stay home and rest. Hopefully she was feeling a lot better now.

He still couldn't believe that they were living together now. Nor could he believe that they had been an official couple for almost three years now. His mind wandered off to that fateful night and he chuckled to himself. Who would have thought that Happy would be the reason they came together.

Finally he was at his front door. Sighing in relief he turned the knob and opened the door. A delicious aroma assaulted his nose instantly and his stomach grumbled happily as he trudged inside. It seemed his mate had just finished cooking. Speaking of which, where was she? "Lucy? Happy?"

Moving into the kitchen, he found the two he had been looking for standing by the dining room table. "Natsu! Welcome home!" Happy flew over to him and nuzzled the side of his face as he took in the impressive spread of food on the table. Was that a jalapeno cheesecake?

"Luce? What's the occasion?"

Suddenly he was worried. Had he missed something? It was June right? So that meant that he hadn't missed Lucy's birthday yet or their anniversary. Happy's birthday was in August and his was a week off. So what was the occasion?

His only response was Lucy smiling coyly before Happy shoved what looked to be a card in his hands.

"HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!"

Natsu's eyes widened at Happy's declaration before settling on the laughing Lucy. Father's Day? Lucy finally caught her breath long enough to explain. "Happy found out about the holiday while you were gone and, as your adoptive son, he wanted to do something special for you. So, he asked me to make all of your favorites, including that cheesecake you love so much."

A face-splitting smile made its way across his face as he first scooped Happy up in a hug followed by Lucy. "Aw thanks you guys! You're the best!" Happy flew in excited circles around him. "Read your card!" He looked at Lucy who seemed nervous all of a sudden, but urged him to open it all the same.

_**Happy Father's Day**__  
"Happy Father's Day" means more than have a happy day.  
Within those words lie lots of things we never get to say.  
It means we love you first of all,  
Then thanks for all you do.  
It means you mean a lot to us,  
And that we honor you._

_But most of all, I guess it means that we are thinking of..._  
_Your happiness on this, your day,_  
_with pleasure and with love._

_With much love, from the three of us._

Below that, Lucy had written her name in her flowing script beside Happy's paw print. He read what Lucy had written one more time and looked up at her confused. "Hey Luce, are you still feeling alright?" She fidgeted slightly as his eyes roamed over her figure. "Y-yeah, why?"

"Because you wrote this wrong. You said 'from the three of us' when there should be only two." Happy peeked over his shoulder and read the same thing. "Hey you're right! Maybe she forgot how to count. I mean, she was acting weirder than normal when I got home today." Both of them glanced at each other before turning their eyes on the blonde.

After a couple of seconds, Lucy let out what could only be considered a frustrated and defeated sigh. She nervously fidgeted with her hands before fisting them by her sides in determination. "No, I didn't write that wrong and yes, I can count." They gave her a disbelieving look before she decided to demonstrate. First she pointed to Happy. "One." Next, she pointed her finger into her chest. "Two." Lastly, she pointed to her stomach. "Three." Silence fell on them afterwards, that is, until Happy decided to break it.

"Lucy, how can you be two people?"

Instead of answering, Lucy turned her attention to Natsu, who had a shocked look on his face. "Surprise?"

Now, Natsu had been known to be dense, although that wasn't completely true. Yeah, he had been oblivious of Lucy's feelings, and sometimes he was oblivious to things he said that could be considered inappropriate. However, Natsu could understand codes surprisingly, and this time, Lucy's encrypted message was no exception. "Y-you… you mean?" She nodded in response and that was all the confirmation that Natsu needed before he swept her up in a huge hug, crushing his lips to hers.

Happy however, didn't get it.

"Wait! What does she mean?!"

Natsu set Lucy down before turning to the now pouting cat. Scratching behind his head, he glanced nervously at Lucy before giving Happy his full attention.

"Um… remember a couple years ago when you asked for something form Lucy and I?" Happy just looked at him blankly, making Natsu sigh in frustration. And he thought he was the one who was dense. "You remember. We were fishing and you told me you thought of Lucy and I as your parents…" The cat suddenly perked up at the memory. "Oh~! Aye! I asked for a little brother or sister!" Out of the corner of his eye, Natsu saw Lucy's head snap in his direction, a surprised look on her face. "Uh, yeah, well, you see, your little request is coming true!"

Silence. Then, "AYYYYYEEEE!"

The exceed swooped in and crushed himself to first Lucy then Natsu, his tail waving back and forth in excitement. "Thank you! Thank you! I can't wait!" All Natsu could do was chuckle and pet Happy's head. "You're welcome Happy." He drew Lucy into the hug as well, reveling in the feel of his little family pressed against him. His little family that he realized in amazement was about to get a little bigger. His stomach rumbled loudly, causing Lucy and Happy to pull away laughing.

"Come on, let's eat. I'm suddenly starving too." Natsu couldn't help the smile on his face as he sat down. He couldn't wait to rub it in Gray's face that not only did he get a mate before him, there was also going to be a mini version of him running around soon.

He was going to have to get the biggest fish he could find to repay Happy for giving him a leg up on the ice bastard, since he had accidently helped him a couple of years ago.

Right after he finished his cheesecake.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

KTKG Says: Alright! How'd you like it? And right in time for Father's day! Please excuse any grammar mistakes. I wrote this at work and wanted to get it out as soon as possible. Oh and I found the card online. Not sure who the author is but kudos to them becasue I didn't write it! Review!


	3. Part III

KTKG Says: Here it is, the moment you have all been waiting for! This will be the last installment, so I hope it's to your liking! Remember: I don't own Fairy Tail!

**Seriously, Thanks Happy**

"Natsu."

Silence was the only response she received so Lucy tried again.

"_Natsu_!"

The snore that came back at her had her scrunching her nose in irritation. She should have known she was going to have to resort to this. Sighing, she raised the hand that wasn't trapped between her and her bedmate to pinch the slumbering dragon slayer's nostrils shut. She started to count to ten in her head and as expected, by the time she reached four the pink-haired man was sputtering and jerking himself up into a seated position.

She watched in slight amusement as he whipped his head around, his dark eyes looking for whatever it was that had attacked him in his sleep, before finally coming around to settle on her. Her lips twisted into a smirk when he glared at her in irritation, his eyebrow raised in question.

"Sorry. I have to pee and you weren't moving."

He echoed her earlier sigh as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, preparing herself to stand up. She felt his body hit the mattress behind her and giggled when she heard his mumbled apology. Within a few seconds, he was back to snoring while she was up on her feet and moving down the hall to the bathroom.

After relieving herself, she sighed in contentment and decided to make a detour on her way back to their bedroom to her favorite room in the house as of late. What would that be you ask?

Why, the kitchen of course.

She felt the smile grow on her face as she finally reached her destination; the fridge. Opening it up, she had to squint and give her eyes a minute to adjust to the bright light the spilled into the otherwise dark room. Once the food finally came into focus, Lucy couldn't help but lick her lips at all the options she had to choose from.

Her eyes settled on the huge pot sitting at the bottom. Her stomach growled and she felt her child give her a swift kick in agreement. "I know little one, I know."

As carefully as she could, Lucy reached in and grabbed hold of the pot's handles, hoisting the thing up and out of the refrigerator and onto the counter nearby. Quietly, she removed the lid and instantly frowned as she looked at the contents. There wasn't much left of the otherwise ridiculous amount of chili she had made earlier, but that was expected. Between Natsu and her amped up appetite as of late, she was actually surprised that there was actually anything left at all.

Shrugging, she scooped up what was left into a bowl and set it in the microwave to warm up. While she waited for her food, she placed the now empty pot into the adjacent sink and filled it with water and soap. She'd clean that in the morning. That is, if Natsu would let her.

Turning to back to the machine, she popped the door open just before it beeped, smirking to herself as she took the bowl out and fished silently for a spoon. She had gotten really good at stopping the microwave just before it alarmed. Mavis knew Natsu had unreal hearing and seeing as he's been doing a ton of missions as of late, she didn't want the sound to wake him. The last thing Happy needed was two cranky parents walking around.

Finding what she was looking for, she slowly headed to their small dining room table. The smell wafting off of the bowl in her hands was absolutely delicious. Taking a rather large spoonful, she practically shoved the thing in her mouth, groaning in appreciation as the various spices hit her taste buds. Before, Lucy couldn't stand the taste let alone the smell of spicy foods. Now, however, she absolutely craved them.

"Gosh kid. It's obvious you've got your father's appetite." She felt her baby move once more and smiled as she continued to finish her chili, her mind beginning to wander.

Absentmindedly rubbing her stomach, she thought back to when she had told Natsu about their soon to be newest addition. As soon as they were awake that next morning, Natsu had insisted that they head to the guild to let everyone know the great news. In reality, the fire mage had wanted to rub it in Gray's face that not only did he get a girlfriend before him, he was also going to have a kid before him too. Naturally, a fight broke out after that, but Lucy had been so happy about everyone's reaction that she hadn't even cared.

Everyone at the guild was ecstatic about the news, especially Mirajane who promptly fainted when Lucy confirmed that it wasn't a joke. The squeal that came out of that woman after that could probably be heard all the way in Enca.

Surprisingly, Levy hadn't rubbed the fact that she was right in Lucy's face. Instead, the blunette had promptly claimed the title of godmother, instantly starting a war between her and the other women in the guild. Unfortunately, that was still an issue that hadn't been resolved yet. At the moment, her unborn child had five godmothers and two godfathers until everyone could come to an agreement. More than likely, that wasn't going to happen.

Spooning the last bit of food in her mouth, Lucy sat back and placed both of her hands on her stomach, rubbing small circles in a soothing manner. She frowned as she heard Natsu's snores reach her all the way in the kitchen. That poor man was exhausted and there was nothing she could do to help him. Since she announced her pregnancy, she hadn't been on a mission more strenuous than filing books or paperwork in the guild. Natsu in the mean time had been doing a ton of high paying missions with anyone that was willing to go with him. He would often come home exhausted or extremely injured, more often than not both. She hated it, and she would let him know how she felt, but Natsu would just smile and rub her stomach. It was all for her and the baby, he would always say.

At nine months, Lucy felt like she was about ready to pop. She was supposed to be on bed rest until the baby came, but Lucy being Lucy wouldn't have any of that. She was determined to at least keep the house clean, but alas, her husband was just as stubborn as she was and apparently their child was too considering they were due last week. Lucy couldn't keep the girlish smile off of her face as she recalled her last thought.

Yes, Natsu was indeed her husband now. She was no longer Lucy Heartfilia, but rather Lucy Dragneel.

When she had told Natsu that day, he had insisted the minute they were in bed that night that they should get married. Lucy surprisingly didn't think it mattered. They were already mated, so what was the point of getting married if they kind of were already? The answer that he gave her only reminded her of why she fell in love with him in the first place. He had wanted it, because he knew that she wanted it as well. She couldn't deny that she had been planning her wedding since she was a young girl, so when he insisted that she have her special day, she couldn't resist any longer. With the help of their nakama, they were wed in a ceremony that could only be of Fairy Tail proportions by the end of the week. It was a day she would never forget.

A sharp pain brought her back to reality for a moment.

Shifting in the chair, she rubbed her stomach with a bit more pressure to ease the slight pressure she was feeling. Looking down at the empty bowl, her eyebrows met in confusion at what it could possibly be. Maybe she ate too fast? It wasn't an uncommon occurrence as of late, but she hadn't felt anything like that before. Maybe it was a false contraction. Her doctor said she could possibly experience those since she was over the due date but not to worry.

She waited a couple more minutes to see if she felt it again. When nothing happened, she rose from her spot at the table and deposited her bowl in the sink. She was probably just tired, something that was all too common lately. Slowly she waddled her way back down the hall to her bedroom. All she needed was some sleep, that's all. She would be good to go in the morning and up making breakfast for her boys.

Hmmm. Jalapeño pancakes didn't sound to bad actually.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A few hours later, Lucy found her eyes popping open once more against their will.

The uncomfortable feeling that she felt during her midnight snack was back again in full force, and this time it wasn't because she had stuffed her face at record speed. She glanced at the clock beside her and frowned when she registered the numbers. It was only four in the morning; she hadn't even been back to sleep for three hours.

Slowly, she tried to sit up in the bed when a strange feeling in her stomach stopped her cold just as she felt herself suddenly sitting in what felt like a puddle. Had she just wet herself? No, she hadn't felt like she needed to go a second ago. Her eyes widened as she realized what had just happened.

Shit, her water just broke.

"Natsu!"

She didn't even wait for him to snore back a reply as her hand came down to smack him in the head. Instantly he was up, his head whipping around just as it had earlier, but this time she was not amused.

"What the hell Lucy!" He looked past her at the clock then turned his glare back to her. "I wasn't even holding you down this time!" He paused suddenly, his hand feeling the spot in between them as a slightly surprised look settled on his features. "Did you just piss the bed?"

She wanted to strangle him right then and there, but fortunately for him she was entering the beginning stages of shock.

"My water just broke, you doofus."

"….what?"

Finally she gave in and reached out to grasp a handful of his shirt, shaking him back and forth as she screamed her earlier answer at him once more. All of the color drained from his face before he was up and out of the bed running around in circles. At that moment, Happy decided to float sleepily into the room.

"Ne… what's going on?"

Natsu stopped searching for whatever he was looking for long enough to shout back "THE BABY'S COMING!"

"AYYYEEEE!"

Happy flew smack into the doorframe as he tried to rush back out of the room. Shaking his head, he tried again and this time succeeded, calling back that he was going to run and let the others know what was going on.

By now, Lucy had calmed down enough to think clearly and remember their plan. Her contractions were far apart it seemed, as she had yet to have another one, but since her water had broken she needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Too bad for her, her husband was busy running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.

With a deep calming breath, she slid herself off of the bed and changed into a fresh pair of sweatpants seeing as she had just ruined the ones she had on. Once she was changed, she calmly reached down beside the bed and grabbed her overnight bag that they had packed just for this instance. As soon as Natsu came close enough to her, she smacked him with it.

"Natsu! Calm down!" He stopped long enough for her to start barking orders at him. She needed him to be calm so she could too. The smack she had delivered seemed to do just that, at least for the moment. "Grab your coat and let's go."

She began to waddle down the hallway, her hand on her stomach and was surprised to find Natsu already waiting for her at the door with her coat in his hand. She forgot how fast he could actually be sometimes.

Gently, he took the bag from her and helped her into her coat before throwing his own on with his ever-present scarf. Once they were properly bundled, they walked outside and after Natsu had locked the door, he gathered her up in his arms. She was about to ask him what he was doing when suddenly he took off at full speed down the street, making her scream so loud that she more than likely woke up the entire neighborhood.

So much for keeping calm.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Do you have any sixes?"

"…Go fish."

Nastu sighed as he threw his hand of cards down, his bleary eyes looking warily at the clock on the wall.

"Natsu, honey, get some rest. I don't think this baby is coming any time soon."

He tore his eyes away to look back at his wife, a frown forming on his face as he really took a good look at her. She looked more exhausted than he probably could ever feel. "I should be the one telling you that." A small smile graced her lips as she leaned back in the hospital bed, her own hand of cards lying forgotten on her thighs. "I'll rest after the baby gets here."

Sighing he rose off of the bed and stretched, his back popping in several places.

They had been there for almost six hours already, and it looked as if they were going to be there for another six. His child seemed to be a stubborn one, which he could honestly say came from both him and Lucy.

Honestly, when Lucy had informed him that her water had broken, he didn't think they would have been here this long. Well, now that he thought about it, he guessed he wasn't really sure what he had expected to begin with. This was the first birth he had ever witnessed.

The nurse had been in earlier with the doctor and they had informed them that Lucy wasn't dilated far enough to have the baby just yet. At the look of pain on his wife's face, Natsu had asked just how far she had to be and almost fainted when the doctor showed him a chart. All he could think of after that was how it must hurt like hell and Lucy was probably pissed at him for putting her through this.

He looked back over to her to find she was chewing on some ice in an effort to cool herself down and distract herself from the pain. She had so far refused any pain medication and Natsu for the life of him couldn't understand why. If his body were trying to adjust itself to allow something the size of a watermelon through a hole the size of a pea, he'd be screaming his head off for relief. For that, he truly admired the celestial mage.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Are you sure you're ok? You don't need anything for the pain?"

Her face twisted in what could only be brief agony while the monitor behind her lit up with movement. She had had another contraction apparently, and they seemed to be getting closer together. At the concerned look he was sure was on his face, Lucy waved him off as she put a hand on the swell of her stomach. "I'm fine honey, really. Don't worry right now. Why don't you go see how Mira and the others are doing?"

He gave her another look but she waved it off again, placing her hand on the almost hidden feline next to her on the bed. "Go on, don't worry. I have Happy here with me to keep me company. Besides, if anything happens I'm sure a nurse will come and get you." He was about to say no when she gave him a look that promised pain if he didn't get moving.

He quickly gave her a kiss on the forehead before reluctantly heading out of the room and down the hall towards the waiting area.

As much as he hated to admit it, he needed to get up and move around, if only to keep his wits about him. He generally hated hospitals; the smell of the sick mixed in with various sanitizers always did a number on his nose. Lucy's scent had helped with that matter but now that he was out and away from her, there was nothing to block it out. Well, except coffee.

Coming into the waiting room, he stopped as he surveyed the various people that littered the chairs. Mirajane, Gray, Juvia, Erza, Levy, Gajeel, Wendy and their Master all sat in various stages of consciousness and he tried to stifle a laugh at the scene. Apparently he wasn't too successful as Mira was the first to snap to attention at the sound of his snort.

"Is the baby here yet?"

The others seemed to wake up a bit more as Natsu shook his head and headed over to where the complimentary coffee was. Man, he hated the stuff but it was the only thing that was keeping him awake and sane at the moment.

"Geez flame-ass, that kid must really take after you! They're as stubborn as ever!"

Natsu couldn't help but laugh as he sat down in one of the empty chairs and took a sip of the vile liquid in his hands. Everyone around him, now up and alert thanks to his appearance, fell into easy chatter as his mind began to wander.

A couple years ago, he would have never thought he would be in this position. He had thought that he would still be wandering somewhere looking for the only family he thought he had, his surrogate father Igneel. But alas, here he was sitting in a hospital waiting room with his extended family waiting for his own family to get a bit bigger. The thought put a goofy smile on his face that his almost-brother/rival just had to comment on.

"What's with the creepy smile?"

Natsu looked up to find that everyone's gaze was focused on him and he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Thanks you guys."

At the confused looks, he decided to elaborate. "Well, um… yeah. For being my family and whatnot, and helping me with mine." It was true. He had thought of all of them as some kind of family, but with the announcement of his child on the way and everyone's responses, the idea of all of them as one big family was cemented. They had all been so helpful and supportive, he couldn't imagine being apart of any other family.

The silence that greeted him was a bit uncomfortable. He opened his eyes (when had he closed them?) to find Master standing in front of him. "You and Lucy are a part of Fairy Tail my boy, and that means you're family, so there's no need to thank us for anything."

Natsu was about to open his mouth and respond when he was cut off by a nurse that had seemed to appear out of thin air.

"Mr. Dragneel? Your wife is calling for you. It's time."

His eyes went wide as they swung around looking for a clock. When they finally landed on one, he noticed that he had been gone for well over an hour. Where had the time gone? Shaking his head, he was up and racing down the hall as his family's cheers echoed after him. He practically skid to a halt in front of the hospital room before bursting inside.

"Natsu!"

Instantly he was at Lucy's side, her hand gripping his as she panted and looked at him with wide eyes. Instantly he froze at the sight as he realized suddenly that this was really happening. They were really about to be parents.

"Alright Mrs. Dragneel. I need you to start pushing on my signal and stop when I tell you to. Are you ready? Alright PUSH!" He watched in amazement as Lucy clamped down on every muscle in her body, especially on his hand, as she did just as the doctor instructed her to. At the faint popping noise, he was sure she had managed to break some of his fingers. "Okay stop! Good job Lucy, you're doing great. Okay, ready to go again? Alright, PUSH!"

Again, Lucy did as the doctor instructed and Natsu couldn't help the slight whimper that escaped him as she squeezed even harder than before. Damn, his wife was strong!

Everything after that seemed like a blur. He was dimly aware that the room was slightly crowded, Happy hovering somewhere behind him. Lucy was panting and screaming, mainly at him, but the doctor and nurses didn't seem to be fazed by it. Before he knew it, Lucy was on her final push and the doctor stepped back and stood with the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life squirming and crying in his hands.

"It's a girl!"

The choked sob that came from Lucy broke him out of his daze and he looked down to see her looking up at him with tears in her eyes. "A girl…" He watched as they brought his daughter over and placed her in Lucy's slightly shaking arms. She was crying and a bloody mess, but he didn't care about all of that. All he cared about was she was healthy, and she was finally here.

His thoughts were cut off as Lucy placed her lips against his, her happiness evident from the kiss. She pulled back and he saw that she was outright crying now, happiness showing as bright as the sun. It wasn't until she raised a free hand to wipe at his cheek that he realized he was crying too.

"I love you."

He kissed her again before pulling back and resting his forehead against hers as he glanced at the miracle in her arms. "I love you too."

Before he knew it, the nurses had taken his daughter to be cleaned off and were shooing him out of the room to fix Lucy up. Excitement pumped through him as he raced down the hall, almost knocking over a nurse or two before coming to a stop in front of everyone's expectant faces.

"I HAVE A LITTLE GIRL!"

The roar that erupted caused many people to stop what they were doing and look in their direction. Natsu didn't care, nor did his nakama, as they crowded around him with cheers and congratulatory slaps on the back. "Come on, you guys have to see her!"

There was no hesitation as everyone took off after him back down the hall.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A short while later found everyone piled in the hospital room ooing and aweing over the new addition to the Dragneel family. They passed the now snoozing child around, with Mira hogging her the longest, before finally returning her to her mother.

"Oh Lucy, she's so precious! What are you going to name her?"

Both Natsu and Lucy paused at Wendy's question, not sure how to answer. "Um… we haven't really thought about that yet, to be honest. Natsu and I thought she was going to be a boy, so we didn't even bother with girl names." There was a collective sigh to which the two of them could only shrug.

"Oh I know! How about Nashi!"

All eyes were on Happy, but his eyes were locked on his little 'sister' in Lucy's arms.

"Nashi? Where did you get that from?"

Happy looked at Gray, a smile on his face. "Well, she's part Natsu and part Lucy right? I just put their names together and got Nashi!"

There was silence as everyone took in Happy's simple answer.

Natsu's eyes were trained on his daughter as he bounced the name around in his head. "Nashi Dragneel..." Lucy looked up at him and he smiled. "You know, I kind of like it." Lucy was about to reply when the small bundle in her arms squirmed once more and yawned before opening her eyes.

Big, brown eyes stared back at them and Natsu noticed for the first time since she had been cleaned up that she had a few wisps of pink hair on top of her head. She really was a mix of the both of them with her father's hair and her mother's eyes. Slowly he saw a smile creep up on his wife's face.

"Nashi sounds perfect to me."

Natsu felt his face breaking out into his signature grin as he reached a hand forward and let a finger trail down Nashi's face.

"Welcome to the world little Nashi."

A few hours later found everyone gone back to the guild and Natsu alone with his family. Lucy was asleep in the bed, clearly tired from the day's events. Curled beside her leg was Happy who was also asleep, his tail thumping lightly against the mattress. He smiled at the sight of them before a slight movement in his arms caused him to look down just as Nashi let out a huge yawn. Looks like she got that from him as well.

"Alright, I guess I should let you rest too."

Quietly he walked over to her basinet and placed her gently into, pausing with his hands on the edge to look at her as she settled down to sleep. He still couldn't believe that he and Lucy were parents, that they had a daughter. It seemed like only yesterday when something like this would have been a far away dream.

He turned to look at his little family of Lucy, Happy, and their newest edition of Nashi from where he stood. Natsu had to hold back a laugh as he couldn't help but think this all started with a simple statement from Happy. Slowly he reached out and pet the now sleeping Exceed affectionately on the head, causing him to look up in sleepy confusion. "Natsu?"

"Thanks Happy."

"For what?"

"For everything."

Happy looked at him for a second in confusion before smiling tiredly and returning his head to it's resting position as Natsu climbed onto the bed as well, throwing his arm around Lucy.

Natsu was certain of one thing and one thing only as he slowly drifted off to dreamland. There was no way life could get better than this.

That is, unless they decided to give Happy another little brother or sister.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

KTKG Says: Okay, so how did you like it? This turned out WAY longer than I had originally planned but eh, what can you do? I would like to thank each and every one of you that have favorited, followed, and reviewed this story. I had originally planned it to just be a one-shot, with no intention for a part two let alone a part three. But thanks to you guys and your encouragement, I was inspired to make it into something more. Once again I would like to thank you guys and tell you I FREAKING LOVE YOU PEOPLE! Until next time!


End file.
